Good, inexpensive supplement for dogs with dry skin?

[Isabella Whateva]

Hey guys,
I have an 8 year old golden retriever with very dry skin. We just switched him to Blue Buffalo salmon formula since we were told fish is good for their skin. It's too soon to see any big improvement yet but I'm wondering if any of you know of something we can do to kind of boost the effect. An employee at Petsmart recommended a fish oil supplement that really helped her lab, but it was $50 for a small bottle. Since he weighs 105 lbs, he would use like half the bottle per day haha.
I would prefer to get something cheat and natural, that wasn't necessarily marketed for dogs, since it seems like the prices for any type of natural pet health items are insane.

 

[3CsMommy]

Olive oil. About a teaspoon into his food to add more of the lipids he hasn't been getting.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Thanks! I'll have to stop and buy some on the way home tonight

 

[CTChin]

I buy fish oil supplement at Walmart or Pharmacy. You want a decent amount of Omega 3, 6, 9. You shouldn't have to buy the most expensive but there is a reason why the cheapest is cheap. I think you should give the food a month without supplements and see how he responds.

Have you had his thyroid tested at the vet? When I worked in an animal hospital we saw our share of hypothyroid goldens. Weight gain, foul odor and bad skin are the usual symptoms but not always.

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

is he allergic to corn? my dog has an corn allergy so we give her corn free food and she hasnt itched anywhere near as much. that was the first thing i thought of when i saw this post. ive never tried olive oil, thats a good idea. do you think canola oil would work as well?

 

[Isabella Whateva]

I'm not sure, but Blue Buffalo doesn't contain corn anyway so that can't be the problem.

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

ohh ok

 

[Rori]

We use Clovite, it's a horse supplement, but it works well with dogs as well.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Thanks!
Just an update:
The fish and sweet potato formula of Blue Buffalo seems to be helping a lot(it makes his breath smell terrible, though!) He's still itching a lot, but visibly his skin looks better. If it doesn't improve in a week or two I'll start trying these.

 

[TidewaterSTO]

Have you determined why his skin is itchy? Food allergies in dogs are much more prevalent than most realize, and they often result in dry, itchy skin. Blue Buffalo makes a line of food catered specifically for dogs with food sensitivites known as Blue Buffalo Basics. It is relatively new, but is limited ingredient (one unusual source of protein, and only one source of carbohydrates) and therefore reduces the number of ingredients that your dog is exposed to. They have a salmon and turkey formula, and I've heard that people have good sucess with it.

 

[3CsMommy]

A friend/former coworker had to order white fish and potato Blue Buffalo for her lab for the same reason. Sadly with food allergies in animals, most of the diagnosis has to be done by trial and error.

Keep us posted on his progress! (Got pics?)

 

[CTChin]

Thanks!
Just an update:
The fish and sweet potato formula of Blue Buffalo seems to be helping a lot(it makes his breath smell terrible, though!) He's still itching a lot, but visibly his skin looks better. If it doesn't improve in a week or two I'll start trying these.

If it doesn't get better, get his thyroid checked. My doberman had dry, itchy skin. 4 weeks into thyroid meds, he is improving already. You can try any food or supplement you want (like I did), but if he has thyroid issues, he won't get better.

 

[Chinwawa]

I have a chihuahua who had terrible trouble with paw licking and thin coat etc. I put her on Wellness Core Ocean which is fished based kibble with no cereals or grains. That helped her.

I was also using salmon oil on her food but eventually some of her symptoms came back. I switched to flaxseed oil and she is the best that she has been in her entire ten year life. No paw licking and her coat is so thick and shines.

It is not flaxseed oil in tablets, it is a liquid that I get in the health food store that they keep refrigerated. About $13.00 a bottle but it lasts for ever and has made such a difference for her.

 

[cremellomare]

My friend says to try this..oil, tuna, eggs, at least three times a week. About a tablespoon of oil, an egg (raw or cooked), and a spoonful of tuna. Do one at a time. She said that usually works within a month and if not it is time to go to the vet. She has been breeding and showing dogs for 25 years and is a AKC judge as well.

I had problems with my dog as well, but it was a corn allergy. I raw fed and it cleared up and she was a completely different dog, great smelling breath, pearly white teeth, and was a lean muscled dog. I prefer raw feeding for that reason.